For a second, there was nothing, then my senses returned, I heard thunder echoing in the distance and rain falling around me, the water and the cold touching my skin followed.
When my eyes opened, I was standing in the middle of a gray block street. A confused murmur escaped my lips, seconds later, I looked around, trying to understand the surroundings that caused me strange familiarity.
It was as if a lightning bolt had struck me, I was in Rondor, in the middle of the capital, but how?
The answer came as soon as I remembered what happened before ending up here, I fell asleep, and this was a dream, my dream, or ours, because I saw the other members of our group scattered around me.
They had a similar reaction to mine, confusion, agitation, and then understanding. Ragnavaldr, Cahara, Enki, Moonless, Madeleine and Nas'hrah, but where was Micolash? No matter how hard I searched, he was nowhere to be found.
The child was my priority at the moment. I approached with long strides. Her eyes widened, and she recoiled, her dagger pointed at me, before realizing who I was. She lowered the weapon and looked away, shifting uncomfortably.
Even though I was no longer the focus, it was obvious who she was looking for, judging by the way her head kept spinning from side to side, failing to hide her fear. I leaned forward, opening the front of my helmet and offering her a gentle smile, trying to calm her.
"Don't worry, your father is strong. I'm sure he's fine, wherever he is. We'll find him, but until then, stay close to me, okay?"
She didn't answer immediately, staring at me in her usual silence, her face contorting into a frustrated grimace for a moment before she nodded slowly, offering me a slight, trembling smile.
I returned the nod, closing the front of my helmet, checking my spear and shield before asking her to follow me, with Moonless following close behind. We headed towards the rest of the group waiting for us further ahead, now conversing as if they had not been observing us moments before.
"So, where the hell is my hideous servant?"
The floating head commented without any tact, leaving me grateful that he couldn't see the frown I made beneath my helmet.
"I don't know, but we'll find him."
Nas'hrah clicked his tongue, complaining about how this was a waste of time, how pathetic his servant was, and other things I chose to ignore. Strangely, hearing someone speak ill of Micolash bothered me more than I imagined. Hmph, I think I'm getting attached.
"So, where to now?"
It was Cahara who asked the most important question, as we stood on an empty, dirty street, surrounded by houses and buildings of wood and stone, their windows filled with darkness.
"I don't know. Nilvan is somewhere here, so I suggest we explore the area."
Wandering into the unknown wasn't the best option, but it wasn't like we had a choice. Besides, it was what we'd been doing since we entered the dungeon. So, I led the group, Cahara to the left, Ragnavaldr to the right, Enki, Nas'hrah, Moonless, and Madeleine behind.
For a moment, I glanced over my shoulder, seeing the downcast girl riding on the wolf's back. I sighed, feeling my heart clench; a child didn't deserve what she'd been through, nor what awaited her, but we all had to be strong to survive here.
We took only a few steps before reaching a point of interest. Crossing a narrow street between two houses and an abandoned carriage, we spotted a large statue similar to that of the man we sacrificed to Alll-mer.
Around it were three dark priests carrying lanterns and wearing dark robes; however, the pale man crucified made my mouth drop open in disbelief and horror. Cahara had a similar reaction to mine, Ragnavaldr frowned, maintaining a stony expression, Nas'hrah laughed as if watching a comedy, and Madeleine looked at the ground.
Enki was the only one who seemed not to care. The image of his naked crucified form, bleeding from his nailed hands and feet, screaming to the sky, did not bother him. On the contrary, he took a step forward, observing it like a curious scholar.
"I am ready, Alll-mer! Take me! I am ready to face my end! I couldn't go any further! I can't feel any satisfaction! There is no fulfillment! I have reached the limits that this frail body can endure! There is no ray of hope waiting at the end! The purpose of us all is to wither under the cold sun that the gods have placed above us!"
The moment the last word left his lips, lightning ripped across the sky, turning night into day with a white flash. I jumped in my place, feeling my heart threaten to stop from the shock.
I barely noticed Madeleine's scream and Moonless's muffled barks beside me, thanks to the ringing of my aching ears. Neither of them had ever left the dungeon, right? I suppose they'd never seen a storm before.
I didn't have a chance to calm them down, because with each rumble and flash that engulfed the city, a being appeared and disappeared from reality in the blink of an eye, an ethereal ghost floating around the crucified Enki.
"What is this?! These visions… I'm see… I understand! Get me out of here!"
The crucified man struggled, and when the last lightning bolt struck like the fury of the Gods, there was no one left there—Enki, the priests, the figure—only the statue existed at that moment.
"Hm… So it was she who revealed this place to me."
Without another word, he returned to the group, ignoring the stares he received. I didn't know what to say after witnessing such a scene worthy of horror tales; nobody knew. We could call him mad, but which of us wasn't at this point?
Madeleine and Moonless were more important at the moment; the she-wolf had calmed down, but the child not so much. She clutched her head, sobbing as rivers of tears streamed down her face, mingling with the damp fur of her mount.
I put my spear aside and fell to one knee, wrapping my arms around her, the way my parents used to calm me when I was a frightened child. The cold armor didn't allow me to feel much, but I saw her freeze through the opening in my helmet, and with slow movements, as if I were about to disappear, she enveloped me as well, her small hands failing to close around me.
"I know you're scared, but those were just lightning and thunder, something normal outside the dungeon, they're not dangerous, so you don't need to be afraid."
She raised her head, allowing me to see her red eyes, as if she were asking if what I said was true.
"Just hold on a little longer, okay? We'll get out of here soon."
We remained embraced for a few more seconds before reluctantly letting go, however, the girl and the she-wolf stayed closer to me as the exploration continued.
The streets remained dilapidated and potholed, sometimes illuminated by torches carried by men wearing rags and masks of human skin, making the shadows dance like monsters around them. Most ignored us, and the few who tried to advance found themselves dying in a pool of their own blood.
Something stood out ahead: two torches burning like a pair of pink stars on either side of the entrance to a small building, which, compared to the ruins around it, could be considered the residence of a nobleman.
That same pink light came from its windows, and unlike all the other doors scattered throughout the city, it was unlocked, revealing a small reception consisting of a chair and a table, with a long corridor waiting on the other side.
We exchanged a glance, discussing whether we should continue, but as always, it wasn't as if we had another choice, so we moved forward, we always move forward, no matter what happens.
It may have been my imagination, no, it was certain that Cahara knew something; his posture fell as soon as the door closed behind us, and his face was taken over by what I believed to be a mixture of sadness and shame.
We soon realized what this place was: a brothel. To our left was a small kitchen, but to the right the building stretched out, with rows upon rows of beds with thin curtains concealing their occupants, but the shifting outlines on the other side, the creaking of the wood and the moans did little to hide what was happening.
I felt my face heat up, but that was nothing compared to the orgy of the bunny masks; we just needed to get out of here as quickly as possible.
It was when I took the first step that the shame disappeared and I remembered Madeleine. I almost broke my neck with the speed of my glance in her direction, noticing the confusion on her face.
I murmured a prayer to Alll-mer, relieved that she didn't seem to understand what she saw, and with a few light nudges, I encouraged Moonless to move faster, speeding up the search for an exit from this place no child should visit.
We crossed the building, trying to ignore the assault on our senses, not only from what we had seen before, but also from the nauseating smell of alcohol and cheap perfume that filled the air.
Eventually we reached the end, a small, dark room with a bed to the left, almost hidden in the shadows. There were two figures there, but unlike the others, they were just talking. The first was a pale, naked woman with long gray hair, but what was most striking was her pregnant belly. The person beside her, Cahara, held her hand with intertwined fingers and eyes full of emotion, which were only revealed by his indignant voice.
"Celeste, you keep doing this job even with the little one on the way?!"
The woman beside him looked away, shame creeping across her face as her other hand caressed her belly.
"Yes… There are people who like this sort of thing. It seems I've had more clients since I started doing this. Men sure are weird."
"I don't like this!"
"Honey, I don't know what to say… A woman needs to eat, and the little one does too."
"I'm a man, I should take care of you both!"
"The world doesn't always work that way."
"No, all my life I've always gone where the wind took me, but it doesn't have to be this way, we don't need to be at the mercy of the wind… or the Gods. Maybe I have the answer, I got a new job, something dangerous, but it will pay the silver we need to get out of here."
"Just promise you'll come back."
"Yes, I promise."
Their faces drew closer, and the moment their lips touched—so fast it took my mind a few moments to register—we were outside with the rain pouring down on us. Just like when we witnessed Enki's memories, no one commented on what we discovered, but that didn't change the fact that the tension in the air made me think a fight between us could break out at any moment.
With his face contorted in pure humiliation, Cahara sighed, breaking the silence and stammering an explanation.
"Y-yes, I know, falling in l-love with a prostitute is stupid, b-but…"
He didn't finish; Ragnavaldr placed a hand on his shoulder, silencing him and sending an empathetic look. Cahara's expression softened, murmuring a thank you before we continued.
The decaying exterior remained unchanged, leaving us only one path to follow, north, near an entrance arch decorated with corpses, each in different states of decomposition, covered in wounds and pustules as they rested in pools of blood and vomit.
Near them were two men, one dressed in black from head to toe, with a white mask in the shape of a bird's beak hiding his face, while the other wore only a loincloth, resting on the ground while scratching his skin, tearing off chunks of rotten flesh.
"You get what you deserve." The masked man spoke, his voice full of disgust for the dying individual before him, refusing to offer an ounce of pity.
"HA, we all do! The Gods cursed this damned kingdom, all of us, you and I!" The man afflicted by the plague laughed, delighting in the thought that soon, more people would join him.
It was as if our group didn't exist for both of them. We crossed the entrance arch ahead without glancing back at the bodies, but deep in my mind, I couldn't help but think of the man's words. Yes, perhaps the Gods have cursed us; now, with what I know, I can't deny that possibility.
Again, it only took a blink of an eye for us to find ourselves in a different place. I felt the warmth of the sun touching me, I perceived its light illuminating the surroundings, the suffocating air of the capital disappeared, giving way to the purity of nature.
It was as if a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I couldn't help but feel relieved to leave that place behind. All that suffering, discovering that was what made me leave my home and join Le… Let's leave that aside for now; I feel something bad in my chest when I remember him.
We followed a trail through the misty forest that surrounded us, shrouded in an unusual silence that made my combat instincts scream because of the danger that could come from anywhere.
Perhaps nothing would happen, but I changed my mind as soon as I spotted a trail of blood ahead. Faster than I could understand what was happening, my spear was already raised, and the rest of the group did the same, preparing weapons and spells.
Soon we found bodies, but instead of monsters, they had been felled by human weapons. I recognized the blade cuts; I had experience with such wounds, but there were also those with spears and arrows embedded in their bodies.
Divided into two groups, there were people dressed in leather clothing like Ragnavaldr, and the others, a familiar set of armor; I even knew some of their names. I trembled like a leaf in the wind, my mouth went dry and my heart raced, various thoughts running through my mind, because no matter how much I tried to deny it, I knew what had happened here; I was part of the band that massacred these people.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the blur of Ragnavaldr's red hair breaking through the formation, advancing with a hurried step, almost disappearing into the mist. We shouted his name, but he didn't answer, so with few options, we ran after him, almost bumping into each other when he stopped suddenly, remaining like a statue.
There were more corpses on the ground, women, children, and the elderly, bodies torn apart and faces trapped in fear and pain. Around them, a small village with burned wooden houses, except for one.
Ragnavaldr from the memories, overcome with despair, spoke to a man with a spear piercing his chest, holding him in his arms as blood leaked from his mouth and wound, struggling to respond between heavy breaths.
"What happened?! Ulve, are you still alive?!"
"COUGH! COUGH! Ragnavaldr, y-you came… They… They came while you were away… T-those knights…"
"WHO WERE THEY?!"
"The Knights of the Midnight Sun… The fair man with the locks of a maiden… The captain… COUGH! COUGH! He wanted what we brought from Vinland… COUGH! COUGH! I think… I think I'll sleep now…"
Life ebbed from the wounded man's body, his eyes closed, his breath ceased, and then he moved no more. Ragnavaldr shook him, shouting his name, but there was no response. Slowly, he laid his friend's body down.
"Ulve, rest in peace…"
He lowered his head in mourning for the deceased, but then his eyes widened and he ran away, shouting a couple of names.
"...Hilde! Bjorn!"
That was the moment Le'garde obtained the Cube of the Depths. I loved and blindly followed the monster who slaughtered those people like animals. I didn't know what to say, I didn't know what to think, I only felt shame; the anger, denial, and sadness were long gone, I could only feel shame.
The real Ragnavaldr, the one who had watched all this time, I expected anger, that he would scream, demanding answers, trying to kill me, but only tears streamed down his face. Returning the favor, Cahara went to his side, trying to comfort the man, while I murmured a useless apology, for there was nothing I could do, nothing could redeem such a sin.
I don't know how much time passed, I don't know what emerged from that scene, but we followed the Ragnavaldr of memories into the last intact house. I quickly verified Madeleine's condition; death didn't seem to bother her, but the sadness on her face—she knew what her blood father had done.
Nas'hrah, on the other hand, only complained, tired of seeing our tragic pasts played out like a theatrical performance. How I longed to get rid of him, but he was too strong and immortal besides. It would be an impossible fight to win.
The interior of the house was dark and empty, except for us and the person ahead, in the center of a ring of light that dispelled the darkness around her, a small, hunchbacked old woman with a wrinkled face, wearing a brown cloak while spinning on a wheel.
The best option would be to try to find out if the person in front of us was a danger or not; unfortunately, this came in the form of a floating head conjuring a fireball towards the old woman.
She didn't make a single sound; what came next was even more terrifying. Her form amidst the flames grew and contorted, releasing sickening noises of something tearing and cracking.
"HOLY SHIT!"
I didn't pay attention to who screamed; I was too focused on the monster ahead, but the words were appropriate. In place of the old woman, there was a huge puppet fused with the spinning wheel, possessing three human arms attached to wooden handles, each ending in sharp fingers holding silver needles the size of swords, with the third on its back, two pale legs that once belonged to a person, and an oval face without a nose, but with exposed human eyes and teeth, without eyelids or lips, fixing them in a grimace of agony and sadism.
The rest of its body was no less terrifying, a mixture of threads, rods, and wheels, with the remains of a chair forming various supports to keep it raised in the air.
"Finally, some entertainment! I was getting bored! Why don't you scream a little for me?!"
Nas'hrah laughed, preparing another spell.
At that moment, as much as I hated to admit it, I screamed, not out of fear, but out of pure rage and hatred born from the infuriating comments of the New God. However, this didn't stop us from assuming fighting positions, gradually spreading out to the sides with the intention of surrounding the monster without hindering each other.
The giant puppet laughed, pointing its gleaming needles in our direction, but the cruel glee on its face turned to confusion, and soon fear. A frigid wind blew through the air, and I felt my body tremble and my teeth chatter.
The others felt the same as me, trembling, wondering what this cold was. The monster suffered the most, for in a short time, its body was enveloped in ice, starting with its head and covering half of its body, transforming it into a bluish statue.
CRASH!
A loud bang shook the air, causing me to instinctively look away, unlike the others who did so for protection, as a mass of tentacles pierced the creature's body, shattering the frozen section of its body into a thin mist of ice crystals.
I didn't see what killed the monster, but something worse: my memories being thrown against me, in the highlands, beneath a tree overlooking a crystal-clear lake reflecting the sky above like a mirror, Le'garde and I.
"They believe you are the man of prophecy."
"Hm… The ancient texts are nothing but children's tales. That doesn't mean I won't use them to my advantage."
"Many things in the prophecies are frighteningly accurate. They spoke of a man with flowing hair who rivals the Gods in power and beauty."
"Ha, I find the Old Gods too ugly for that! Don't tell me you believe that too?"
"Nilvan of the New Gods is supposedly beautiful, just as The Tormented One used to be. The texts also speak of –He who will unite the warring nations, not by the power of the golden staff, but by the power of a dozen pitchforks–."
"Well, by now all the kings hate me, so I agree with that statement… I WILL strive to unify these lands, whether they are in the prophecies or not. No matter the cost, but… I feel I am close to achieving my goals, but the last step is unclear… It is still shrouded in mist. I am not sure if this is 'the way' to achieve all this."
"What do you mean? You are just one step away from founding your own kingdom and becoming one of the most legendary rulers of our time! You would be a great ruler! I'm sure of it! The people already adore you!"
Le'garde did not answer, his face fixed in deep thought; what was going on in his distorted mind was a mystery to all.
"Le'garde… I need to ask what this campaign in the north is all about? I don't quite understand the importance of expanding our dominion there… Frankly… I fear such a campaign could negatively impact your reputation."
"Thank you for your sincere words, D'arce… However, I have already made my decision; the campaign in the north is vital to my plans. They have something that belongs to me."
"Something that belongs to you? What are you talking about?"
"I need to reach higher levels. That's the only way."
Was that how I looked? Like a lovesick maiden? It was disgusting, the way my face flushed, how my eyes sparkled when I saw him, how my voice became as soft as velvet when I spoke. I was nothing but an ignorant fool; I knew something was wrong, but I chose to ignore it, opting for blind love.
And Le'garde, I never imagined a man could be so arrogant. What, in the name of the Gods, made him think he was part of the prophecy? Mere resemblance? A strange feeling? He was nothing more than a cruel and greedy being, like the nobles who ruined Rondor. His convoluted plan only brought us pain and suffering, but now, he had never been so close to realizing it, and I collaborated to make it happen.
Then, the memory faded, and white surrounded us. Walls, ceiling, and floor the color of pearl, illuminated by bright rectangles on the ceiling, making my eyes hurt whenever I looked directly at them.
There were windows to our left, and looking through them, my mouth dropped open as I beheld a large city of unfamiliar architecture. The landscape seemed to split in two, one side composed of older and smaller structures of various colors, while the other, gray and sleek towers rose towards the sky, some finished and covered with windows reflecting the sun, while others were still under construction, revealing their metal skeletons.
Below, in the streets, both those made of blocks and those of dark material with yellow lines, people, so many people, like ants in an anthill, more than any city I knew.
I wasn't the only one amazed by this sight; everyone had crowded around me, sighing and murmuring as they witnessed something so strange and yet incredible.
Even Nas'hrah, as much as he hated to admit it, couldn't tell us what this place was. However, the time for pretending to be fish out of water came to an end, and we were reluctantly forced to move on, forcing me to add this place to my list of questions that would probably never be answered.
The air was filled with a strange perfume, which, unlike in the brothel, didn't make my nose burn, but there was something wrong with this smell, like something trying to imitate the fragrance of a flower.
To the right, there were rows of gray doors with a small glass window, most of them locked, with darkness concealing their interior, except for one slightly open, through which a beam of light passed.
There, a group of people surrounded a bed, the number of women exceeding that of men, all showing sadness at different levels, some crying while others tried to maintain an emotionless facade.
Lying down, with various strange things attached to his body, was an old man breathing with difficulty, wearing a transparent mask with a tube, his tired eyes looking around, focusing on something in the distance.
His hand, with his arm attached to a wire connected to a bag held up by a metal rod, stretched out, trembling, using what little strength he had left. A section of the group parted, and a frightened child, clutching the skirt of what I believed to be his mother, approached, encouraged by the other adults with kind words.
His steps were slow, and he kept his hands clasped as he looked around, as if waiting for someone to tell him to stop. When he grasped the old man's hand, offering a smile that the man returned from behind his mask, the door slammed shut, and a blinding light consumed the entire space, placing us in a white void.
We were ready to fight, but we came face to face with our missing companion, waving to us as if at a gathering of friends.
"Hello, it'sss been a while, hasssn't it?"
"Micolash?"
I didn't lower my guard, keeping my spear pointed in his direction in case this was another trick of the dungeon.
"Yesss, it 's me. No need to thank me for the help with Ssskin Granny."
"So it was you."
He nodded, but couldn't continue, as a dark blur lunged at him, nearly knocking him to the ground.
"Moonlesss, ssstop!"
The she-wolf reared up on her hind legs, supporting herself on him with her front paws, licking his mask and the exposed part of his face. Meanwhile, Madeleine clung tightly to the animal's fur to avoid falling onto the nonexistent ground.
Eventually, he managed to calm the dungeon creature and then focused on Madeleine. I couldn't see the child's face, but judging by the way her arms opened and she was held in her father's arms, the girl couldn't be happier.
"Did you misss me? I'm sorry about that, I ended up in a ssstrange place, but I'm here now, and I'm not going anywherrre."
The corners of my lips curled at the sight, a pity it had to end with the arrival of a new person. There were no lights or noises, but floating ahead, in a previously empty place, was a woman, though simple words could not describe her beauty.
Even from afar and flying, she was tall, taller than any normal person, her skin an inhuman yellow, her body full of curves and voluptuousness, worthy of the envy of noblewomen, her torso remained bare, exposing her breasts and stomach, her only clothes being blue pants and a white cloth hat used by desert inhabitants to protect themselves from the sun, hiding part of her hair of the same color.
Her face possessed sharp regal features, slightly pointed chin and nose, but despite being the embodiment of beauty that would make any man or woman fall to their knees, one simple thing stood out from the rest: her eyes, surrounded by accentuated eyelashes and filled with the purest blue. Despite everything, there was something disturbing there, a light, or lack thereof, that made my soul tremble. Even as she approached, her eyes continued to observe, dismantling me layer by layer.
"NILVAN, YOU HARLOT!"
A ball of fire ripped through the air, approaching the New God whose name I had uttered with disdain in the past. The deity's serene smile died instantly; the fireball passed through her body as if she didn't exist, then her acursed gaze turned to the floating head.
"Nas'hrah, it's a displeasure to see you again."
The contempt in her voice couldn't have been greater, her expression haughty, staring at her former enemy as if he were an insect.
"The feeling is mutual! At least I can take comfort in knowing I won't have to put up with your ugly face for much longer! Give us your soul and get out of here!"
She didn't dare reply, now focused on the individuals closest to her, Micolash with Madeleine in his arms. The man stepped back and looked up, observing the goddess's face towering over him, while the child cowered, struggling between seeing what her mother desired or fleeing from her.
"So you are the young man blessed by the foreign gods who has caused so much trouble."
Her tone was amused, circling Micolash, analyzing him from head to toe.
"Yesss, you're here to stop me?"
Returning to her initial position, she laughed, a melodious sound, as if she had heard a joke.
"Hahaha, no, after all, you are aware of my plan and seem to be following it, even if you are making your own changes along the way."
"Of courrrse, I don't like the fact that a child was forced to sssuffer, even more so with what her mother planned for herrr."
The sting was obvious, but Nilvan didn't bother to show a drop of shame. Did she even care about Madeleine?
"I only did what was necessary to ensure the progress of humanity. The Old Gods abandoned us, and the New ones only postponed stagnation; we need something powerful to make us move forward."
"And you put a madman in the path of divinity in the processs."
"Yes, Le'garde, he did his part, but his obsession with prophecies brought him here. That wasn't intended, and now, he plans to be the one who will guide humanity into the future."
"Creating a cult of worrrship around him, all the people setting aside their individuality and culture to worship the sssame being."
"You seem troubled. Isn't a world without fear and hunger something desirable?"
"Not when frrreedom is the price to be paid."
Nilvan smiled, a heart-melting expression, then she held Micolash's head in both hands, bringing her face close to his.
"Then you know what to do…"
Soon, Madeleine was the recipient of her next words, extending her hand to her mother, the gesture never being accepted, causing her hand to fall in disappointment.
"…And you, my child, a glorious future awaits you."
With that done, Nilvan sealed her lips with Micolash's in a kiss, the kind between two passionate lovers.
The man in her grip struggled, trying to escape, but when that failed, he held Madeleine with only one arm and delivered a powerful punch to the Goddess's stomach, the thud audible from here, but she barely reacted, letting out a muffled laugh before deepening the kiss, leaving him on tiptoe due to the height difference.
It was then that Madeleine drew her dagger and tried to stab her own mother that my mind finally snapped out of its trance and I realized something was wrong. I rushed towards them both, ready to unleash a spear thrust at the deity, but just as the cursed steel of my weapon was about to touch her flesh, I awoke.
END OF CHAPTER